Saints’ plan for an ultra explosive special teams unit has hit a snag

OutKast famously said, “You can plan a pretty picnic but you can't predict the weather.” The New Orleans Saints were recently reminded of this proverb, as one of their plans for an explosive special teams went up in smoke. The day after NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players, the Saints signed Kene Nwangwu.

Nwangwu is a veteran running back entering his fourth year in the league. However, the Saints didn’t sign him to be in the backfield; they signed him because of his returning prowess. During three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Nwangwu established himself as an elite returner. He was even named Second-team All-Pro in 2022.

New Orleans was looking forward to utilizing Nwangwu and his skillset. Unfortunately, the talented returner was waived on Thursday, with a failed physical designation. With the waiving, New Orleans’ picnic got rained on.

Saints waive Kene Nwangwu after failed physical

While this may seem like a lowkey move, the initial signing was pointing to a calculated plan from New Orleans. The Saints didn’t really need Nwangwu, because they already have an All-Pro returner in Rashid Shaheed. However, the franchise was clearly trying to take advantage of the new kickoff format.

With the new dynamic kickoff the league unveiled this year, elite returners will have the opportunity to consistently make big plays. What’s better than one great returner? Two— especially when they’re on the field together. With Shaheed and Nwangwu on the roster, the Saints would have been able to get really creative, and likely would’ve had a dominant kick return unit.

Fortunately, New Orleans still have Shaheed, and the team also has Alvin Kamara, who the franchise said could return kicks again on special occasions. The Saints may even go look for another explosive returner to sign, since things didn’t go according to plan with the initial signing.

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